In last year’s Day of the Devs livestream, a brief spot was dedicated to highlightingAsobu– a community initiative with the intention to support Japanese independent creators and games. While that on its own may not sound all that substantial, what Asobu brought to the table that year was a delightful little puzzle-platformer formed by a lone developer, by the name of ElecHead. Needless to say from the off, with its stripped-back aesthetic clearly paying homage to NES/Game Boy-era games and more importantly, a clever gameplay mechanic revolving around electrical conduction, ElecHead proved more than a winning formula. And once more, Asobu rerturn with not one but two games worth highlighting.
The first, a similarly-nostalgic title in the form of Goodbye World by developer yo Fujii. With clear influences from cult classics like Mother 3, Goodbye World centers around a pair of budding game developers as they attempt to navigate the unpredictable and anxious realm of real-life. All while trying to make it big with a debut game of their own creation. Be it its distinctly-personal writing, hazy sprite-based artwork, or even its occasional detour into game-within-a-game antics, Goodbye World’s slice-of-life drama pitch, already makes a compelling first impression and is due out later this year on PC.
Speaking of compelling, mixed with a touch of the creepy and the unsettling, Fox and Frog Travelers: The Demon of Adashino Island (to give the game its full official title) by Rias Coast is a complete polar opposite on aesthetic and premise on top. A 3D action-adventure game with a Japanese-inspired atmosphere wherein players as the titular Fox, a young girl who finds herself on the aforementioned island as supernatural entities begin to run amok. A game whose pre-rendered backdrops and static perspectives as one navigates the environments, are themselves a nod to the early days of N64/PlayStation titles first experimenting and utilizing the potential of 3D space. This game however, looks to be way’s off – the game’s presser stating this title is planned for release “in a few years”.
